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The World Health Organization recommendations for the use of Oxford / AstraZeneca
The Covid-19 vaccine, AZD1222, includes all people 18 years of age and older, including the elderly.
In a briefing on Wednesday, Dr Joachim Hombach, Executive Secretary of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, said:
The immune response in people over 65 is almost the same as in younger people, which makes us very confident. “
The new recommendations were released on Wednesday and note that there are certain populations for which data is limited or no data – including children, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and other groups. “As long as these data are not available, vaccination of people under 18 years of age is not recommended,” says the guide.
“There is insufficient data available on AZD1222 vaccination of pregnant women to assess the efficacy of the vaccine or the risks associated with the vaccine during pregnancy. However, it should be noted that AZD1222 is a non-replication vaccine, ”he says. He added that “WHO does not recommend pregnancy tests before vaccination. WHO does not recommend delaying pregnancy because of vaccination.”
For breastfeeding women, the guidelines state that “a nursing woman who is part of a group recommended for vaccination, such as health workers, should be offered vaccination on an equivalent basis”. He also said he did not recommend stopping breastfeeding after vaccination
At the same briefing, the WHO also recommended the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine in countries where variants of the coronavirus are circulating.
The expert advisory group looked at two aspects of variant circulation in relation to the AstraZeneca vaccine, explained Dr Alejandro Cravioto, chair of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization, said explained Cravioto.
In the UK, Cravioto said preliminary analysis showed slightly reduced efficacy against the variant spotted for the first time. The analysis also showed a limited reduction in neutralization titers, which means that the vaccine still has a good effect in protecting people infected with this variant.
In South Africa, Cravioto said preliminary analysis showed “a marked reduction” in the vaccine’s effectiveness against mild or moderate disease in a variant spotted for the first time. The analysis also showed a reduction in the levels of neutralizing antibodies. However, he said the study was small and failed to assess the vaccine against severe infection. He noted that there is indirect evidence that there is still protection against serious illnesses.
Considering all of these factors, we have made the recommendation that while there is a reduction in the possibility that this vaccine will have a full impact on its protective capacity, especially against serious disease, there is no reason not to recommend its use, even in countries. that have variant circulation, ”Cravioto said.
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